Your home is the only place where you always spend quality time with your loved ones. And same as the home is essential for you; it also needs you. When your property has a basement, greater are the chances that you will come across basement problems eventually.
The basement moisture for example it might be as minor as the condensation on the basement walls; or important as the flood after mostly rainy days. In between is all from mold, mildew, pooling water, humidity, leaks, cracks and much more.
As a homeowner, you might wonder if there is a strategy that you could do yourself and prevent these kinds of problems. Depending on the root of the problem, you might be able to deal with the issue yourself; or you might need the help of a waterproofing professional.
Basement Waterproofing Do’s and Don’ts
- Do your examination; There are three possible ways for preventing basement leaks; interior sealants, drainage and exterior waterproofing. When you can’t determine by yourself what is the best treatment for your home particular to the situation, contact basement waterproofing expert.
- Don’t tolerate stagnant water; It is essential to keep your home and its surrounding free and away from stagnant water. This is the only efficient way to prevent mold in your homes; which not only will impact the walls but is harmful to your health also. Additionally, operating with electrical tools in standing water can be deadly; as it may lead to big disaster. For minor water pools, use a mop with a fan or maybe dehumidifier. For big floods, first turn off the power in the basement and after that use a pump to remove all the water.
- Do find source of the leak; Discover the source of the leak and repair it. Maybe it is a pipe that is leaking or water coming from the windows? Locate the source and slice it off.
- Don’t use – do it yourself sealants; You can be a DIY expert; but do not use any sealants before consulting a professional. Many of those fast fixes are short-term and they can lead to costly repairs in the future.
- Do maintain clean gutters; Always make sure that the gutters are clean. Ensure that the gutters and the downspouts are clear from deposit water and debris at least 6 feet away from your home.
- Don’t plant anything in the ground close up to the foundation; The plants must be away from your house foundation. Move away the landscaping around the perimeter of your house that requires customary watering. In addition you might also want to make certain that the soil that surrounds your house slopes away from your foundation at least for 2inch.
- Do use specific waterproofing products for the different parts of your house; The usage of particular waterproofing products for your home is recommended. For example, if you look for a product whit which you will waterproof the internal wet areas like the swimming pools or maybe water tanks exclusively; the choice will be different from the products used for waterproofing an interior basement wall.
- Do determine the source of the present moisture; If you ever notice signs of moisture in your basement, just follow the trail. When the water is incoming through a crack in the wall or maybe around a window well; you will notice wet streaks – follow them to the source. And when an entire wall sums wet, you have to determine whether the water is seeping into your home from outside or maybe the source of the moisture is in the interior of the basement.
- Don’t forget to check your window wells; The window wells that are built without an additional drainage system beneath will be a basement moisture major cause. Water is pooling in the well and has nowhere else to go but inside the basement. And when your window wells are lacking drainage; digging about two feet down within the well must be done and then filling the hole with gravel. This encourages the water to drain downward in the soil; rather than in your basement. You will also want to install window well covers for preventing additional water accumulation.
Here at Draintony, we help Toronto and GTA homeowners to protect their properties with high-tech basement waterproofing and also foundation repair solutions. Give us a call and you will learn more about maintaining your basement dry.